ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Taqwa (Piety) Advice of Telling Lies ================ Another factor that causes division in a society is the indecent habit of telling lies which is prohibited by the Holy Quran, the Sunnah, consensus, and reason. Telling lies is a major sin which disgraces and discredits human beings. It is a source of scandal, shame and misfortune. A liar is miserable, impious and faithless.

In this connection, God says: “Only they forge the lie who do not believe in Allah’s communication.” [^1] He also says: “Woe to every sinful liar.” [^2] A liar has been described as cursed, a dweller of hell, oppressor, misled and ruined by the Quranic verses. When telling lies is so horrible, it requires the observing of Taqwa. Imam Sajjad (AS) used to say to his son: “Keep away from little and big lies whether you are serious or kidding! Whoever tells lies in childhood, will do so in adulthood.

Do you not know that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) has said: ‘A servant may keep on speaking truthfully until God records him as a very truthful one, and a servant may keep on telling lies until God records him as a very lying one.’”[^3] It is inferred that one must not tell a lie even for fun, for he shall be considered as a liar. In traditions, two kinds of lies are mentioned; the small lie and big lie.

Perhaps, it is meant by a big lie that when one tells a lie about God, a prophet, or an infallible Imam. It is a major sin which makes fasting invalid. Such a lie is blameworthy and causes a society to dismember. This happened in the early days of Islam and its consequences have continued to exist until our time. Whatever losses Muslims suffer today arise from the same liars who created deviation in people’s beliefs.

If ordinary lies cause division, bloodletting, and destruction, telling lies about God and the Messenger of Allah have not only the consequences of ordinary lies, but they ruin the beliefs and faith. An example is the fabrication of traditions by certain narrators. Telling lies is worse than other sins and it is more harmful than the others are. Imam Baqir (AS) has been reported as saying: “God Almighty has made locks for evils and has made the drinking of wine as the keys to these locks.

Telling lies is worse than the drinking of wine is.”[^4] Commenting on this tradition, the late Allamah Majlesi says: “Wine here means all the intoxicants and locks here mean all that which prevents us from committing evils.